Smart Fortwo has impressive IIHS crash test result

Ever since the smart fortwo coupe went on sale in the U.S., many drivers have admired thetiny machine's fuel-economy but were worried about how it would hold up in a wreck. When the NHTSA issued a "Safety Concern" because the Smart's driver-side door popped open during a crash test, the doubts seemed justified. Now, however, the IIHS has released official results of its own safety testing, and it turns out the little microcar performed surprisingly well.

Two weeks ago video of an IIHS front-offset crash test leaked onto the internet, and to the untrained eye it looked like the Fortwo's "tridon safety cell" surrounding the passenger compartment remained intact. The Institute's official results now confirm this, giving the Smart a "good" rating for both frontal and side-impact crashes, which is their top score. While the seats and head restraints earned "acceptable" ratings for whiplash protection in rear impacts, a step down from "good," the IIHS still declared the Smart's overall test results as "impressive" -- not bad for a car that's 3.29 feet shorter and 738 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.

The IIHS did include a cautionary note about the Smart's size and weight -- at just 106.1 inches and 1808 lbs, the Fortwo is the smallest car the Institute has ever tested. IIHS frontal crash tests typically show how a vehicle performs against others of a similar size and weight, but nothing on U.S. roads even comes close to the Smart's dimensions. The Fortwo may fare well in a wreck with another Smart, but hitting a Tahoe -- or even an Accord -- could be a very different story. The side-impact test, however, replicates a crash with a pickup truck or SUV, and the Smart still performed well. The driver's door did unlatch just like on the NHTSA test, but overall injuries to the crash dummies were low.

The IIHS praises the Smart for its high level of standard safety equipment such as side airbags and stability control, and was impressed by the car's stiff structure despite the lack of a front-end crumple zone. That said, according to IIHS president Adrian Lund "all things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better," and though Smart engineers deserve credit for the Fortwo's crash worthiness, sometimes a small car with a "good" rating still isn't as safe as larger vehicles that don't score as well.

Of course the Smart isn't meant for cruising the highway -- the car's size, maneuverability, and 33 mpg in the city make it ideal for low-speed, urban areas. So if you do pick up one of the little machines for getting around town, rest assured that according to the IIHS, you'll be driving a very safe car.